A Bullet For A Fire
by Sieben
Summary: After an explosion at a crime scene everything changes, but the explosion and the actual crime aren't connected, what's going on? Who ended up in hospital and who got suspended? NickSara and a hint of WarrickCath.
1. Chapter 1

The first draft wasn't a Nick/Sara fanfic, but I re-wrote it a bit since I'm such a Snicker fan. First CSI fanfic so be nice.

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or the characters.

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**Start with one bullet**

Almost two years ago:

"But if he was standing there he had to have been pushed to fall over the reeling, no way he just fell over it on his own.", Warrick was standing with his arms crossed by the evidence table; he was looking at the photos and evidence Sara had collected from the case she was working on involving a man who had fallen from a seven story balcony with his suitcase into the shrubbery below. She had been hanging over the table wracking her brain for several hours and not really getting anyway.

"So maybe he wasn't alone, maybe…", Warrick began but was interrupted by Sara sighing loudly, "Everything I collected at the scene tells us he was alone, unless you know something I don't?"

"Stuck?", said Catherine from the door, "Your prints came up as a Daniel McAvie, earlier convicted for arson".

Looking at the folder Catherine threw it in front of them on the table, Warrick's expression went from intrigued to gloat as he turned to Sara, "Still think he wasn't alone?"

"Which prints are these?" Sara said in disbelief as he took a closer look at the file. "From the suitcase" Catherine answered as she left the room.

"So he's having a dispute with this Daniel person and the guy throws the suitcase at him making him topple over the reeling of the balcony, that's no accident", Sara said thinking out loud looking at the photo where the victim had landed.

"Yeah, throwing suitcases shows you mean business", Warrick laughed finding it all a bit comical.

"If you'll excuse me Warrick, I have to call Brass and go arrest a Mr. McAvie".

Sara smiled as she headed to the parking lot; it always felt good when you got a break in any case. And who knows, maybe later she can get started on a new case before she hits overtime.

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Almost two years later:

Nick POV

"You're driving way to slow! We're in a hurry, step on it!", Sara was stressed and he knew it but the weather wasn't on their side tonight, it was raining heavily and showed no sign of clearing up soon, but he only laughed at her lack of patience, "Love to but I would rather we arrive in one piece if you don't mind".

The crime scene was at an apartment complex off of Deermount street, Vega was waiting for them outside the apartment. "You took your time?", he said as he held out an umbrella.

"Well Nick drives like a ninety-five year old grannnie", she smiled at him, Nick gladly took her teasing, it was one of the joys of working with her.

Walking under the umbrella Vega filled them in on the situation; "One dead in the bedroom, stabbed twice. The coroners have been here already so it's all clear, and no witnesses. The deceased name is William Levin, aged 34, lived alone."

"Thanks."

Nick and Sara stepped into the small apartment, it was obvious there had been a struggle, a broken chair and glass shatters lay on the floor in the living room.

"Ok, you take the chair and I'll look at the glass", she practically ordered as she opened her kit.

"Whatever you say boss", smiling as Sara replied by sticking her tongue out at him,

"Mature Sara", he mumbled with a wide smile as he bent down next to the chair.

Several minutes of silence went by as he and Sara went on processing. The broken chair had blood on it and he collected small wood chips off the floor. He glanced over at Sara, she was picking up all the pieces of glass, a grin crossed his face, she looked so concentrated and totally in to what she was doing. He enjoyed her company on cases, they joked about everything, it somehow lightened up the morbid atmosphere and he always had a constant smile when with her.

"Nick, a little assistance?", he quickly snapped out of his thoughts and walked over to her side, she had finished picking up and bagging the glass and was now holding some sticky paper in the air. "I found some kind of dust here on the floor, but the sticky paper ripped, could you get e new one?". He looked a bit closer and saw some white specks on the sticky paper, but the back where you stick the paper back on to lay in two pieces.

"What would you do without me?" he chuckled as he got up and headed out.

The rain was still being stubborn and continued raining bucket loads. He opened the boot of his Denali and picked up some more sticky paper, also getting things so they could begin dusting for prints.

Closing the car and heading back he saw a bright light and heard the sound of a large explosion, he ducked and threw himself back behind the car. People were shouting and running around panicking. Nick got up and looked from were he had heard the sound, a car just a few feet away stood in flames and pieces of debris lay around it. Dropping the paper and dust he was still holding he rushed forward together with officers to help those injured.

He looked around, scanning the people to see if Sara was there or still inside.

Paramedics patched up the worsted injured, nothing serious. Nick took a closer look at the now extinguished car; could there be a connection between the dead body and this? Perhaps this was an attempt to scare away the police.

"Paramedics! Officer down!"

Nick spun around; a police officer was running back up the stairs to the apartment with the paramedics rushing towards him. Nick's mind was in slow motion. No, she was safe; she was sitting in the apartment waiting for him to come back with the paper. Realizing he was standing still he set off up the stairs and ran flat out to the apartment, not sure on what he was about to see. But there she was, Sara, on the floor covered in blood, her blood. She wasn't moving, he made an attempt to go to her, but someone held him back. Someone he didn't know, he didn't really hear them say that they should give the paramedics some room, his brain was stuck on the sight of Sara slumped against the blood splattered wall.

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Sara's POV on what just happened

"God he looks good in jeans", she thought for her self as he left the apartment to get some more sticky paper.

She shook her head, "Focus!".

She agreed with Grissom on one point, relationships within the team would only make things awkward and complicated for everyone. But that didn't mean she couldn't look, but oh did she want to do more than just look though.

"He's so slow…if for once in his life he could...", she jumped when she heard the explosion.

Not caring about ruining the evidence on the paper, she dropped it and got to her feet, what's going on out there? She stood in the doorway to the apartment and saw the big flames dancing around what used to be a car.

"Nick!", panic struck in her heart, the car is over there somewhere. She took a step forward to wards the stairs but someone grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards.

Her mind didn't register the quick change of pace, "Hey, what are you doing!", she tried pulling her arm out of their grip. She was pushed back into the apartment and shoved onto the floor.

"Shut up!" a mans voice yelled at her, she looked up at the person who was closing the door behind him yet holding a gun aimed at her. She didn't understand why this was happening, not getting up in case she startled him she crawled backwards up against the wall. Looking left and right to see any way to escape, no where to flee, she was trapped. Her hand to her belt she realized her gun wasn't there, glancing at her kit on the other side of the room she saw the holster pointing out of the top of her open kit, shit.

"Goodbye Miss. Sidle".

Now her mind had caught up and realising what he was going to do she threw herself to the side.

The pain was intense; the bullet had hit her shoulder. Her vision became blurry, filled with tears she looked for the gun man, she saw him run into the next room. Listening for his footsteps and hoping he wasn't coming back to finish her off.

Holding her hand on her wound she tried to sit up, but she felt the strength leaving her body and she slowly fell into a black nothing-ness.

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Ok, if someone actually is reading this and wants to read the next chapter I want at least 3 reviews, since there's no use posting more if no one's reading right.


	2. Chapter 2

I got 5 reviews on the first chapter, go me. And it seems to be that many believe to know where this story is going, it could be heading that way, but it does have this strange twist in it so hang in there.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of the characters.

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Chap.2

Not being related, or her supervisor, he wasn't given any information on Sara's condition. All he could do was sit in the bright coloured plastic chairs in the reception of the ER and wait. With his elbows on his knees and head in his hands he was trying to mentally grasp the whole situation,

"Nick!", his head shot up at the sound of his name, Catherine and Grissom , finally!

"Nick, ..I don't…what happened?", Catherine was lost for words, she and Grissom had rushed down to the hospital after hearing from Brass that Sara had been shot at the crime scene, with no details of her injuries their imaginations had got the best of them.

"I…I don't know", Nick had been playing the incident over and over in his mind while he was waiting, but nothing he could remember led him to understand what happened.

"Are you ok?", Grissom looked worryingly at Nick, after Nick nodded he turned to Catherine. "I'm going to see how critical it is".

Grissom walked over to the desk and spoke with a nurse; Catherine sat down next to Nick who had his head back in his hands, leaning forward, deep in thought again.

"Nicky..", Catherine used her soft, motherly voice, "…are you sure you're ok? We could have..".

"I went to get some more things from the car, then the explosion…then I, I didn't leave her alone for that long. She was waiting for me to come back ..I ..I..".

Seeing how more and more upset Nick was becoming Catherine put her arm around his shoulders, "Nick, calm down. What explosion?".

"She's ok, the bullet hit above any vital arteries. She's in recovery now.", Grissom stood in front of Nick and Catherine letting out a big sigh, she was ok, thank god. "She's heavily drugged now and they want to keep her over night, so her statement will have to wait."

Glancing back at Nick 'relieved' wasn't what Catherine saw in his eyes, it was still the same, guilt. Because that is what he felt beyond anything else, guilt.

Silence captured the three for a moment as they sat in the pale blue environment that was the ER, lighted by fluorescent lights it was eerie and unreal. She was going to be ok, that's what they had been told.

Catherine suggested they get back to the lab to see what Warrick and the others had found out. Without anymore words they left the hospital.

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Stirring his now cold coffee, he was till lost in memories from only a few hours ago. One of his best friends had almost been taken away from him and he was helpless, not even aloud to help now with the investigation.

Getting back to the lab Nick was ready to get down to business, but Grissom pointed out that he was a witness and to stay impartial he was now ordered to sit in the break room until he was summoned to give his statement. Feeling outraged he had stomped off to the break room like a raging teenager.

"Feel like talking?", Catherine stuck her head around the door of the break room.

"You mean if I feel like giving you my statement?", she swears she saw something that resembled a smile when he spoke.

"Same thing right?" she sat down as he poured out his coffee, sitting back down he sighed and without looking up and summarized what he remembered.

"We were collecting evidence, her sticky paper ripped, I went to get a new one from the car, another car exploded, I ducked behind..",

"See that's were you lose me, who's car?", "As I was saying, I ducked behind my car then I went to help and then next thing I know the paramedics are being called up to the apartment we were processing, I left her side for about ten minutes, fifteen tops!".

She saw it again; as he lowered his head to stare at his hands she knew what was the matter.

"Nick it wasn't your fault, what were you supposed to do? Predict what was going to happen and not leave for any supplies?" she said trying to lighten his mood and result, a short lived smile, "I know, but I could have gone to see if she was ok after the explosion, there were enough officers there to help the injured, I should have gone up to check on her...".

"But it's the officer who was standing outside the door who should have been making sure she was ok, letting whoever shot Sara get past him was a mistake that probably cost him his badge".

Still with eyes focusing on his hands he somehow doubted this, something wasn't right, why hadn't the assigned officer stopped the gun man from entering the apartment?

"I'm got your statement and, no offence Nick but you look like a wreck, you need to go home and rest. You've done what you can here." Just nodding he got up and headed towards the lockers to get his bags, maybe he could stop by the hospital or maybe even...his thoughts were interrupted by his pager, Grissom summoning him to his office. Great, probably going to have to re-tell the whole thing again, the thought of having to recall it all again made him realize how tired he actually was. With heavy feet he headed towards his supervisors office.

"Have a seat Nick" Grissom said as he shuffled some papers on his desk, but Nick stood fixed to the spot, why was Ecklie there! "Nick, please sit down". Slowly he sat.

Ecklie cleared his throat, "It has come to our attention that there was a case of misconduct at the crime scene earlier today, we have to ask you some questions to find the weak link in our otherwise tight followed protocol", his voice was monotone and impersonal.

With a sigh Grissom continued Ecklie's speech, "Nick, did you leave the scene at any point?". The guilt rumbled inside of him as he answered, "Yes, to the get some supplies from the car".

"When you left who was standing outside the door, which officer was standing guard?".

Nick's mind was blank, who was standing outside as he left? He remembers his own smile, the comment: '_what would you do without me' _was on his mind as he had gone to the car. He hadn't even looked towards the officer…hold on, was there even anyone there?

"Nick?", Grissom looked at him still waiting for an answer.

"I don't remember, I don't recall there being anyone outside the apartment door..", as he spoke he realized what he was saying and what it meant, a horrified glance at Grissom confirmed his thoughts. Grissom sighed heavily and hanged his head.

"Nick I had hoped that you would have know what protocol to follow if there isn't an officer present at the crime scene," Ecklie began with his again impersonal voice, "one should not leave a colleague alone, but to wait until an officer arrives. Meaning; your colleague's wellbeing is in your hands".

It felt like his insides had been sucked out in one go, it was his fault, Sara lying in the hospital, his fault. He was right, the guilt feeling in the bottom of his stomach was right.

"I didn't, … I wouldn't have gone out if I'd…", Nick was trying to defend himself, but why should he defend himself, it was so clear he was to blame.

"We know Nick", Grissom spoke again, "We know, but we have no choice but to.."

"To suspend you for the next two weeks", Ecklie threw in, clearly enjoying the moment.

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Not the most exciting chapter but:

What new information will Sara's statement bring? Will Nick's guilt devourer him? And what will the team find out about the explosion and the shooter? Will update soon. (and yes I know my spelling/grammar is awful).


	3. Chapter 3

CHAP 3

Big hugs to all who reviewed the last chapter. This chapter doesn't contain a lot of things that contribute to the plot, but the next one will, that and the twist in the story. So keep on reading.

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Thank you for all the nice reviews: _Isabell89_, wraiths-angel, Draco Lover3, BumbleBee07, newsyd, BeTrAyEd DaUgHtErS, sarcasmqueen09, missiemeghan, Lexa-Gibbs, MidniteDreamer.

And to_BeTrAyEd DaUgHtErS_, I'm the one writing the story so he called _me _and asked to spend two wonderful weeks with him, sorry:P

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"I'm sorry Sara..."

The sun was shining high in the sky as it always did in Vegas, Nick stood by the white casket being lowered down into the ground. A hand on his shoulder made him jump, "It's over now Nick, we have to leave". He followed the officer to a nearby squad car where another officer stood waiting. Before climbing into the backseat Nick was cuffed. The day before the court had ruled against him and charged him for the murder of Sara Sidle.

"Noo!", he bolted up, the sweat making the sheets cling to his chest. While his breathing slowed down and he realized Sara wasn't dead and he wasn't going to jail, it had been a dream. Guessing that was all the sleep he was going to get he got out of bed and went into his kitchen.

Glancing at the clock it told him it was 02:07. Normally he'd be at work, a thought that didn't exactly make him feel better. Not at all tired he turned on the TV and hoped something good was on to distract him for a little while at least.

07:51, he had watched a midnight-movie-marathon on one of his movie channels, but couldn't remember the plots of any of them, his thoughts had been racing around in his head the whole time.

"That wasn't a total waste of time..", with another quick glance at the time he got up and grabbed his keys, "that's it".

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Exhausted from the pain, medicines and the effort of trying to cook with one arm in a sling had taken its toll.

"Stupid stove!", she yelled at her kitchen as she slammed the frying pan into the sink and slumped down onto her couch. Letting out a big sigh as her stomach rumbled, the hunger combined with the pain had woken her up. All the frustration had lead her to be on the verge of tears she as she looked around for the painkillers, the ones that only killed the pain for eight minutes at a time, "Where the hell are those worthless bloody pills, Dammit!", she yelled and hit a near by pillow, rage seemed to work better than those pills did.

A knock at the door.

Whoever had shot her hadn't been caught so she froze and sat silently hoping who ever was standing outside her door wasn't the gunman ready to finish her off.

"Sara, it's me Nick. Are you there?", relief washed over her body as she got up and opened the door letting a very tired looking Nick in.

"I heard you swearing", he smiled as it walked in.

"Why are you here Nick?" she didn't mean to sound harsh, it was the lack of sleep, she was actually glad to see him.

Realizing it still was quite early a fresh wave of guilt ran into his already guilt-filled gut, "I'm sorry…your probably tired, and you need your rest, I'll talk to you later, I'm sorry..", he turned to leave but Sara grabbed his arm. Using a nicer voice she shook her head, "No, I can't sleep anyway, stay?". He could hear that it was more a pleading than an invitation and without a word he closed the door again and sat down on the couch.

Joining him she took a closer look at his face, it told her that he hadn't had a good nights sleep either.

They sat in silence for awhile until Nick smiled when he heard Sara's tummy rumble loudly.

"Hungry?" He smiled at her as she blushed, "yeah".

Twenty minutes later there order of Chinese take away arrived.

"I'm sorry...about your suspension, Catherine told me."

"Doesn't matter", he poked at his food, "besides, vacation is always nice" he said laughing a very unconvincing laugh.

Sara knew that he may not be a total workaholic like her self but he had the same passion for the job as she did, and she knew how she would have felt if she had been suspended.

"You shouldn't have been suspended in the first place, you didn't do anything wrong"

"Yeah I did…I left you alone, a sitting duck, had I just stayed with you…"

"Stop it Nick, I should have kept my gun on my belt then I could have shot the basterd and then I wouldn't have my arm in a sling and you wouldn't be on suspension. So technically I'm the one to blame, not you."

Nick didn't look at Sara, with his eyes on his food he continued to poke around his noodles.

Sighing, she took the take away box out of his hands, put it on the table and faced him, "Nick look at me".

Still avoiding her gaze he didn't move. Next thing he knew she had taken his face in her hands and turned his head to face hers.

"You are feeling guilty because of what happened to me, so if I tell you, from my heart, that I don't blame you in any way, will you quit acting all mopey?"

He didn't answer her, he just sat there with Sara's hands on either side of his face, looking into the eyes that were staring right back into his.

"I _do not_ blame you, you hear me? The officer who should have been standing guard outside, I blame him a little bit, the guy who shot me, loads. But you; no way".

She smiled and Nick pulled her into a hug.

"And how can I hate you when you're the one sweet enough to sit with insomniac-me and eat Chinese food for breakfast?" she spoke silently as they stilled hugged; Nick didn't want to let go and Sara wasn't showing any signs of letting go just yet.

Nick couldn't believe how close he had come to losing this amazing person, not having Sara in his life would have been a loss beyond words.

"You know this means that when we get back to work I won't be letting you out of my sight", he whispered. He felt her laugh as they broke there embrace, "if that makes you happy Nick".

A few seconds of just looking and smiling of each other until Nick spoke.

"I'd better leave," Sara watched him as he got up and went to the door, "and you know," he said as stood in the open doorway, "it wasn't just guilt I felt …mostly it was regret, regret for not telling you before you'd been shot how much you mean to me…...bye Sar'".

Sara sat in the couch still with watching the now closed door, what did he just say?

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Walking to his car everything felt so clear. He knew why Sara actually meant so much to him, it hit him when they had hugged each other, if the shot had been fatal he wouldn't have lost a friend, he would have lost something so much more.

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"Grissom", Warrick had walked straight into his office and up to his desk with a very determined look on his face.

"I know Ecklie is your boss, but you're Nicks boss and you know, as well as I do, that Nick isn't the one at fault here Griss!", almost yelling Warrick waited for Grissom to react.

"Hello Warrick, and I agree with you and everyone else who's been in here today to complain about Nicks suspension" he said calmly yet continuing to scribble on some papers in front of him, "and as soon as Nick decides to turn on his cell phone again he'll find out that I have in fact taken him off suspension.".

"Ohh…", Warrick felt that his actions had become a bit redundant now and didn't know what to say.

He decided it was just to leave. Maybe he could drive past Nick's house to give him the good news seeing that his shift was over and all.

"You can tell Nick to thank Catherine; she had a chat with Ecklie on his behalf", Warrick just paused in the open door, nodded and continued walking.


End file.
